The Javelina — a Resourceful Desert Dweller

Joanna Manaves is a Geneva, Illinois, entrepreneur who engages with Peacock Foods in a broad range of management capacities. Passionate about travel, Joanna Manaves has particularly enjoyed family trips to Scottsdale, Arizona, over the years. She has a particular interest in observing the area’s varied desert wildlife, which includes coyotes, scorpions, lizards, and javelinas.
Also known as a peccary, or skunk pig, the javelina resembles a small, long-haired pig and has hooves with three toes. Originally indigenous to South American rainforests, the animal has migrated north to desert habitats over the past two hundred years. They typically live in social groups of up to a dozen and forage for agave and prickly pear in the morning and evening.
The opportunistic animals get their name from their sharp canine teeth, which are the longest among predators in North America. For this reason, despite a cute appearance and generally harmless behavior, it makes sense to keep a fair distance during an encounter. Javelinas are not shy about using their teeth in self defense, and have been known to severely injure canines who come too close.
